Tales from the Tape: Castillo-Casamayor, Marquez-Diaz, and the Ring 135-pound title

Mark Ortega

With this Saturday being the highly anticipated clash between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz for Marquez’ Ring Magazine 135-pound title (and now the WBA and WBO titles as well), I thought it would be an excellent chance to take a look back at a card featuring another fight for the 135-pound world title from a few years back between champion Jose Luis Castillo and Joel Casamayor. With Nate Campbell moving up to 140-pounds after failing to make weight a few weekends ago against Ali Funeka and Manny Pacquiao set to fight Ricky Hatton for the 140-pound world title, Marquez-Diaz has become a bout between the clearly two best fighters in the entire division.

Similarly, when Floyd Mayweather, Jr. moved up from lightweight in 2004, it made Jose Luis Castillo’s bout with Juan Lazcano not only for the vacant WBC 135-pound title, but for the vacant Ring Magazine title as well as Castillo and Lazcano were recognized as the #1 and #2 fighters in the division. Castillo won a close decision in a memorable fight, making him the recognized #1 fighter in the division. At the same time, Diego Corrales and Joel Casamayor, fresh off their rematch that saw Corrales awarded with a split decision victory, were both making the move to 135-pounds instantly making it one of the hottest divisions in the sport. A string of title would go off one after another between the likes of Casamayor, Castillo, Corrales, Acelino Freitas, and Julio Diaz. Add to that the emergence of the young and exciting Juan Diaz and you had a lot of excitement being generated in one of the premiere weight classes.

Showtime Championship Boxing was behind this series of fighters more than any network, airing most of the title fights that took place at lightweight. On this particular night, December 4, 2004, Showtime also put a couple of interesting supporting bouts underneath the Castillo-Casamayor bout showcasing two emerging fighters in heavyweight Samuel Peter and newly-crowned IBF super middleweight champion, Jeff Lacy. Peter would be taking on Jeremy Williams in the first bout, while Lacy would be making the first defense of his title against tough two-time world title challenger, Omar Sheika.

Jeremy Williams is a guy you always wonder about, how he would have done had his career been managed better or if he had focused 100% on boxing. If he had made the move to cruiserweight early in his career, many thought he could have been a force there and won a belt. In his one world title attempt, in 1996 to Henry Akinwande, Williams was knocked out in three rounds and never mounted a streak worthy enough to contend for one again. In fighting Samuel Peter, 20-0 at the time, Williams could make a serious move towards another shot at the age of 32. A win would not get him one instantly, but it would be impressive. One thing about Peter, is it is hilarious to think that people believe he was 24 at this time. I just cannot believe that this man is that young, he looks old enough to be my father. Throughout his career questions about his age have been raised on various boxing message boards, and for good reason.

The first round was a rather close one, with good action happening throughout, which is odd to hear considering that it was heavyweights who were fighting. Williams did a good job of boxing, but you could see flashes where he would leave himself wide open and nearly get blasted by a big shot. This offered some foresight to what would happen in the next round.

About twenty seconds in, Peter lands an absolutely brutal wide left hook that has Williams out before his head bounces off of the canvas. The announce team goes silent for what seems like eternity, and you instantly fear for the health of Williams. Medical personnel climb into the ring and start to take precaution. Williams is sitting up without speaking or moving for a few seconds, and then thankfully answers some questions asked by the staff.

In the post-fight interview, Samuel Peter makes absolutely NO sense. Just to show you what I mean, here is word-for-word what came out of Peter’s mouth.

“First of all, I want to give praise to the almighty God, because I know the joy of the lord is my strength. Um, well I was really prepared for this fight, you know. ‘Cuz I really know, I knock Jeremy Williams. I don’t watch his tape, I don’t know anything about him because I’m a man, a real man. That’s what I said from the beginning, a real man. I don’t watch anybody’s tape. You know when I was running, me and my coach, I told my coach, ‘When I’m on the street, I pick up two golf balls’, and I told my coach, ’I’m gonna knock this guy out.’ Ask my coach. And I said, ‘What does this mean?’ My coach has two balls and he said, ‘You see these two balls?’

Then Jim Gray cuts him off. So what I got from that at the end is that Peter has big balls, as in a lot of guts? I also love how he says he was really prepared for this fight, and immediately follows that with him saying he didn’t even watch any tape of Williams, nor does he ever watch tape because he is a real man. I think it would have served Peter some good if he watched some tape on either of the Klitschkos. When they show Peter the highlight of the knockout, he delivers again:

“Yeah the left hook is, you know, I didn’t plan a left hook. But you know, this is me, this is me, this is me. (the punch lands) That’s it, that’s what it all about. I believe he will be okay because the joy of the lord is my strength, as I was saying earlier. I want to fight Vertrilly Klitscko.”

Jim Gray looks dumbfounded and brings Jeremy Williams into the picture and asks him this brilliant question: “Hey I don’t know if you remember, were you unconscious before you hit the canvas?” He then, without hesitation, shows Williams the replay of him getting knocked silly. Jim Gray: a man of worth.
The next bout was a perceived showcase fight for emerging 168-pound force and former Olympian, Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy. Lacy had just won the IBF super middleweight title from Syd Vanderpool when he scored an eighth round TKO just two and a half months prior in only his 18th professional bout. Lacy was a belt holder who promised to be active, never sitting on his belts. He lived up to that billing, never fighting more than five months apart during his title reign. Following his loss to Joe Calzaghe he would only fight less than five months apart one time, looking unspectacular in each of those four bouts.

Omar Sheika, ironically, will be fighting in a little over three weeks against Roy Jones, Jr. in a surprising PPV-headlining bout. Entering the Lacy bout, Sheika was a winner of three straight over non-descript opposition following four straight losses (SD12 and TKOby10 to Scott Pemberton, UD12 to Eric Lucas, TKO4by Thomas Tate). Sheika had unsuccessfully challenged for a belt twice before, against Lucas and Joe Calzaghe. Lacy would be his third chance, and he promised not to waste it.

Tally another mark for fighters entering the ring to Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” to two in these columns as Omar Sheika elected to make his walk to that song (Junior Jones also came out to that song against Marco Antonio Barrera in another Tales from the Tape).Sheika was proof that, in boxing, if you prove to be in exciting bouts you will get more than your fair share of opportunities (see: Arturo Gatti).

Oddly, both fighters were 27 years old. It is interesting because Lacy was on his way up and Sheika was perceivably on his way out.

Throughout the course of the first half of the fight, Sheika elected to fight in spurts, letting off four or five punch combinations and then tying up Lacy before he could do anything. Sheika was picking up a lot of the early rounds, and was landing big right hands at will. In the second round, Sheika stunned Lacy with a right hand and followed up with some left and right hooks that also got through. Sheika was also digging shots to the body, winding up as if he was throwing a haymaker in a video game. Sheika was winning his rounds big while Lacy was edging the rounds you could find for him. Through six, I had Sheika ahead 4-2 in terms of rounds.

From that point on, the fight changed momentum. Sheika was electing to trade more with Lacy rather than try and limit his output. At the end of the seventh, an insane exchange occurred that had Lacy landing the slightly better shots. Sheika wasn’t on sturdy legs to start the eighth yet was still engaging with Lacy and having his moments. Lacy edged the round again. In the ninth, Lacy started to mix his punches up and hurt Sheika. A double left hook by Lacy lands and the round again ends with an awesome exchange. At this point, Lacy had more behind his punches. The tenth round saw Lacy continue the assault, hurting Sheika but not being able to put him down. Sheika was absorbing an incredible amount of damage, which is interesting because he could not handle the same from Scott Pemberton a few fights before.

The twelfth round is the kind of final round you always hope for in close fights. Both guys came out with a complete disregard for defense, standing toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring exchanging power shots like it was the end of a Rocky film. Lacy had clearly won, but much credit was given to Sheika as well for giving a tremendous effort in the underdog role. The official scores, 115-113, 115-113, 117-111 tallied a unanimous decision for Lacy and Sheika had come very close to lifting a major belt for the first time. I had it 116-112 for Lacy as I thought he swept the final six rounds.

Joel Casamayor was coming off an incredibly boring decision victory over Daniel Seda, one of Showtime’s worst main events ever. The Seda fight was his first at 135 following his loss to Diego Corrales for the vacant WBO 130-pound title four months prior. For what he has done in the ring, Casamayor may be one of the most underappreciated elite fighters of the past few decades. He came to the United States from Cuba and quickly turned professional. He had to get to work quickly, as he did not start his pro career until he was 25 years old.

Casamayor would win the interim WBA super featherweight title against Antonio Hernandez in 1999 and pick up the full version of the WBA title almost a year later from Jong-Kwon Baek. After a few defenses of his belt, a failed attempt to unify them came when he unsuccessfully challenged Acelino Freitas in January of 2002, losing by unanimous decision. A controversial win over Nate Campbell on HBO put him back in the mix, and he would beat Diego Corrales on cuts soon after to put him in line for a title shot. Instead, he fought Corrales again for the vacant WBO 130-pound title, losing by split decision. Casamayor decided at this point to move up to lightweight, and a victory over Seda later he would challenge Castillo for the recognized world title at lightweight.

Jose Luis Castillo had just established himself as the best 135-pounder in the world, but it took him 57 fights as a professional to do so. Castillo turned pro at the young age of 16, losing four bouts early in his career before getting a shot at WBC lightweight champion Stevie Johnston in June of 2000. Castillo made the most of his opportunity, winning a majority decision in Ring Magazine’s Upset of the Year. Castillo proved his merit in the rematch which ended in a draw, allowing Castillo to hold onto his title. The rematch was originally announced as a majority decision victory for Johnston, but it was later discovered that Ken Morita’s scorecard had been added incorrectly and that the fight was a draw. Castillo would not be notified this until Johnston came into his locker room to give him the belt back.

Castillo would make a few pedestrian defenses of his title before meeting Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in April of 2002. Mayweather would win a unanimous decision, although many in the boxing community thought that Castillo did enough to hand Junior his first loss. They would rematch in December with Floyd emerging with a much more clear and concise victory than he had before. Mayweather would defend the titles twice and then make the move to junior welterweight, leaving a void at lightweight that would be cleared up in a bout between Castillo and Juan Lazcano, the #1 and #2 lightweights in Ring Magazine. In an entertaining battle, Castillo would be awarded the victory and the distinction as the best fighter in the division.

The fight began at a slow pace, with Casamayor winning most of the early rounds as he would move around the ring, occasionally landing a straight left hand that would make Castillo look foolish. For the first half of the bout, Castillo did not look to even be in the same league as Casamayor. He would follow “El Cepillo” around, attempt to get inside on him, and instead get tagged by a few power shots and not have enough time to land anything in return before Casamayor would disappear out of harm’s way. Through six rounds, Castillo had maybe won two of them. The sixth round was when Castillo turned the corner, landing some premiere body shots in an attempt to slow down Casamayor. The plan worked, and the second half of the fight was much more competitive.

Casamayor was holding a little too much, and in the clinch Castillo was doing great work, firing to the body and then coming back with left and right hooks to the side of the head. Casamayor would do well for early portions of a round and then Castillo would grind him down and do enough damage to justify being awarded the round. In the ninth, Castillo would start off strong, peppering Casamayor with some big right hands. Casamayor would then land two straight lefts that would snap back Castillo’s head. Castillo ate them gladly, and I scored the round even. The championship rounds is where Castillo made an incredible run, winning all three of them on each judge’s scorecards. Casamayor seemed more inclined to war it out with Castillo, which was a strategic nightmare on his part.

At the end of the tenth, both fighters were exchanging dangerous blows with Castillo landing the better leather. The eleventh round saw both fighters take the beginning of the frame to gain some energy back. Castillo would be the first to get his second wind, going up and downstairs effectively. Castillo ripped a shot upstairs and then to the body to end the round impressively.

Heading into the final round I had the bout 5-5 with the 9th round even, meaning the fight was on the table. Castillo would land some bombs in a six-punch combination that Casamayor answered with shots in between. The last twenty seconds of the round featured some incredible action that saw Casamayor getting strafed by power shots, mainly left and right hooks upstairs. A beautiful Castillo left uppercut would force Casamayor’s mouthpiece into the bright lights, putting an exclamation point on the round in Castillo’s favor.

No one on the Showtime crew could take a guess at who would be awarded the victory, it was that close. When it came time to be announced, to nobody’s surprise it was a split decision. The first score was 116-112, in favor of Castillo. The second score was 115-113, in favor of Casamayor. The third and deciding score was a much too wide 117-111 in favor of Castillo, allowing him to retain his title.

In the post-fight interview, Castillo called for a fight against Diego Corrales in May and Tszyu in September. Thankfully for us, that fight came together and both men delivered possibly the greatest 135-pound fight in history. Castillo would never get his chance at Tszyu, as the war with Corrales demanded a rematch. By the time Castillo was done with all of that Tszyu would lose his title to Ricky Hatton and retire from the sport.

This weekend’s Marquez-Diaz bout promises to provide a lot of intensity and some fireworks are likely. I favor Diaz by decision, but can see the fight playing out many different ways. In other words, this isn’t one I would bet on. In opening bout action, Chris John travels to the United States for the first time as he defends the featherweight title he won from Marquez against local attraction, Rocky Juarez. If Juarez can fight like he did at the end of the Barrios fight, this is winnable. If he decides to not fire any punches like he has done in all of his losses, you can chalk up a loss barring a hometown decision much like the one he nearly got against Barrios. Either way, Saturday promises to deliver a few fights worth viewing, and on free (well, sort of) television, no less.
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Clottey the forgotten man at 147

Mark Ortega

When Joshua Clottey lifted the vacant IBF welterweight title back in August of last year against Zab Judah, he thought it was his ticket to bigger fights and a chance to build a legacy. It hasn’t quite worked out that way, and the 147-pound champion, who hails from Ghana but has carved out a living in the United States since 2001, has gone without a fight since.

Clottey is unfortunately a man without a following. He is well-known in his homeland, but in the States he is just another fighter who is a hard sell to ticket buyers and potential opponents. He currently resides in the Bronx, New York, and would be easy to assume there is not a large Ghana population there. On top of that, Clottey does not necessarily have a crowd pleasing style, but it isn’t a boring one either. Since winning the title, Clottey has had a few fights rumored to be made, as well as one that was nearly signed, but he has yet to make a defense of his title.

Clottey’s first rumored fight was to be a welterweight unification bout with Antonio Margarito in December of last year, a rematch from their thrilling and close 2006 fight that saw Margarito claim a unanimous decision victory.

“I was in Africa when my manager asked me about the fight. I said I wanted the fight, and I was told that my promoters would get back to me about it. I didn’t hear anything about it after that,” said Clottey in a phone interview Tuesday.

After the Margarito fight went away, Clottey was slated to defend his title against Kermit Cintron, whom Clottey was the mandatory challenger to before Cintron suffered a second crushing defeat at the hands of Margarito. The fight was supposed to take place under the Miguel Cotto-Michael Jennings fight, but Cintron opted to take a fight with Sergio Gabriel Martinez for an interim version of the 154-pound title instead.

“Cintron is the coward in the division,” remarked Clottey. “He didn’t want to fight me when he was the champion, either.” That refers to a point where Clottey was the long-standing mandatory challenger to Cintron, and Cintron decided to pay the IBF to sanction Cintron-Margarito II as long as the winner agreed to fight Clottey immediately afterwards. Margarito won the fight and vacated the belt immediately to chase a bigger fight with Miguel Cotto instead. Clottey was not even offered any step-aside money and decided to get back in line, hoping his shot at a world title would come soon.

Clottey would get that chance in August against Zab Judah for the vacated title. At the end of a fight that was shortened due to a cut suffered by Judah, Clottey emerged victorious and became a world champion. But what exactly has it changed for Clottey?

“Winning a world title is a big thing. Even bigger was who I beat to win the title. It was Zab Judah, and we have a grudge between us. He pushed my trainer and I wanted to teach him a lesson,” said Clottey. “I took less money to fight Judah because I thought when I won I would get the big fights and a chance to unify the titles. Even with the title, those guys still won’t fight me. I didn’t make nothing off the Judah fight, and now I have been off for six months. It is just unbelievable. Why did I win the title if it didn’t change anything for me?”

Clottey’s desire for a big fight is obvious. He has claimed that if none of the top guys will fight him, he might just quit the sport. It is an understandably frustrating situation that he has found himself in. Why would any of the top fighters at welterweight choose to fight Clottey? He is a high-risk fight that offers little reward except for the trinket that he currently owns. He doesn’t sell tickets at the volume that many of the other top fighters do, either.

“When I won the belt, I thought I would be fighting every three months. Now it has been six months and all these fights are going by while I just sit back. It just feels like I am being neglected,” Clottey continued. “They are all fighting around me. I came here to fight, why aren’t they giving me a chance? Mosley is an old man that just wants the big fights for big money, Cintron is a coward, Berto would never fight me. I need to fight with these guys to prove how good I am.”

It can be discussed that Clottey does not even have a legitimate loss on his record. His first loss came at the hands of Carlos Baldomir by disqualification in a bout that Clottey was well ahead in. His loss to Margarito is now being questioned because of the controversy currently surrounding him concerning illegal hand wraps that were discovered shortly before his bout with Mosley. When asked what he had to say about that situation, Clottey had this to offer:

“I can’t say that he used it in all of his fights. Whatever the case may be, if he loaded his gloves then that’s bad. This is boxing, if he has been doing that for a long time, he should be banned. If he used that against me, against Cintron twice, against Cotto, then we don’t need him.”

It is interesting to see where Clottey can go from here. He currently is without a mandatory challenger, but once Miguel Cotto emerged victorious this past weekend he became a possible opponent for Clottey. Cotto is a fighter who has never ducked anyone, and that seems to be the only real possibility for Clottey to get a big fight.

“You know, even if I were sleeping and they called me to fight Cotto, I would take that fight. I need to fight the top guys, otherwise what is the point of being the champion? I am the number four guy in the world, I want my chance to prove myself.”

Hopefully, for Clottey’s sake, he gets awakened by a late phone call soon enough.
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Diaz gives back!

Mark Ortega

Former unified lightweight champion of the world, Juan Diaz, who looks to regain that distinction this coming Saturday, took some time to give back to the community of Houston, Texas in the form of a $5,000 donation that was presented alongside Everlast to The Contemporary Learning Center.
The check was presented to the school in a ceremony that Diaz himself attended. An endorser to Everlast, Diaz was also a product of the Contemporary Learning Center and he has often made speaking appearances in order to motivate kids to thrive in education and fitness.

Look for Juan Diaz this coming Saturday as he takes on Juan Manuel Marquez in the headlining bout of HBO’s World Championship Boxing on February 28th to determine who the best 135 pounder in the world is. Also featured is a bout between Indonesian star Chris John and a fellow Texan to Diaz, Rocky Juarez for a John’s WBA featherweight title. Read more!

Interview with heavyweight Cedric Boswell

Mark Ortega

Today we chatted with IBF #13 heavyweight Cedric “The Boz” Boswell. Boswell [28-1, 22 KOs] is fresh off of his biggest victory to date, a second round TKO of then-undefeated Roman Greenberg for the IBF North American heavyweight title back in August.


Mark Ortega: First of all, thanks for taking the time to let us know how you are doing. What have you been up to since your huge knockout of Greenberg?

Cedric Boswell: Man, I have just been training really hard, waiting for a phone call. We have tried calling out a bunch of guys to fight me, but we haven’t had any luck.

MO: What fighters are you targeting in particular?

CB: Well, I know that Chris Arreola doesn’t have an opponent yet for April 11th. He says he is the best American heavyweight, he can prove it by fighting me. His last fight was against Travis Walker, who is on the same level as Roman Greenberg so it makes sense for us to fight each other. I don’t have a promoter or manager right now so all his people need to do is give me a call. I have called out David Haye and James Toney as well, but they rejected fights with me. I mean, I just want to fight Top 5 or Top 10 guys, whatever gets me closer to a world championship.

MO: Back in ’07, you called out Evander Holyfield and wanted a fight with him. Is that a fight you would still want, especially considering many people thought he got robbed against Valuev in December?

CB: Well, yeah, anytime you get to fight a legend like Holyfield, it’s a big thing. I mean, I would still take that fight, I thought he won against Valuev. We also are both from Atlanta, so we could do it out there on our home-turf and bring in some fans. It is definitely a fight I would consider.
MO: Back in ’03, you were going to fight Vitali Klitschko in a supporting bout on the Lennox Lewis-Kirk Johnson card. Johnson pulled out, and Vitali took his spot in the main event and you were without a fight. Looking back, was it worth it taking whatever money they gave you to give up your spot on the card, or would you have liked to fight Vitali?

CB: Looking back, I would have loved to fight Vitali. But I was in a sort of catch-22 situation. If I didn’t take the money, the fight with Klitschko probably still would not have happened.

MO: How ready were you for that fight against Klitschko?

CB: I was ready, man. I was working with Ronnie Shields and we were training really hard for that fight.

MO: Tell us more about the Greenberg fight. He was 26-0 at the time, and you had only fought six times since a three-year layoff. How did that fight come together and how confident were you coming into it?

CB: My advisor came to me about the fight with Greenberg and I thought it would be a great fight. I knew they were trying to boost him up without having fought a guy who is the caliber fighter such as myself, so I thought it would be a great opportunity for me. I also noticed that we fought a lot of the same guys early on, and I was getting rid of them quicker and easier, so that made me pretty confident. It was a perfect fight to help get me where I needed to be.

MO: Along with the win came your first professional title, the IBF North American heavyweight belt. How did it feel becoming a champion for the first time?

CB: It felt great. I had been fighting for a long time and I never had the opportunity to fight for a title. I mean, it’s just a stepping stone to a world title, I am hoping that now someone in the Top 5 or 10 will fight me. Basically my goal is to get a world title from any of the four major organizations, and winning this belt puts me a step closer.

MO: Your career has been hampered by two long layoffs. One of the layoffs was a nearly three year one due to promotional problems, and you took another three year break following the fight with McCline. Any comments on those situations?

CB: I guess before, I was kind of hard-headed. I wanted a title shot right then and there and I thought they were taking too long. I think that I just thought I was ready for a shot and they thought I needed some more time. I just wasn’t patient enough, and now it’s a bit harder to get that shot, but we will see. The other layoff, in the McCline fight I had actually injured my rotator cuff. I had injured it in training for the Klitschko fight, and when that fell through I got a call about fighting McCline three weeks later and I thought I could beat him so I took that fight. In the fourth round, I re-injured it.

MO: The McCline fight is the only blemish on your professional record. You got stopped in the 10th and final round in a fight that you were well ahead in. It looked as if you were just a bit gassed at the end. What did you learn from that fight?

CB: Well, from the fourth round on I was fighting with one arm. I had no right hand and that is my power hand. I kept faking it like it was okay but I couldn’t throw it. I did learn a lot in that fight, though. I gained some experience, learned to hold a lot more, drop your mouthpiece when you are hurt. He dropped his mouthpiece four or five times without getting warned. It was a dirty fight but my hat is off to him because he did what he had to do to get the win. I would love to get another shot at that fight if he got back into the Top 10, otherwise it would be a step back for me.

MO: You turn 40 later this year. Is it safe to say that your career is in make or break mode? How much longer do you plan on fighting and what is your plan?

CB: I only got two to three years left, if that. Fighting tune-ups won’t get me anywhere, but if that is all that is available then I will fight those fights. But honestly I am just looking for the big fights against the top fighters in the division, whatever gets me to a title shot. I got a late start in the sport. I played football in high school and college and didn’t pick up boxing until I joined the military (Navy).

MO: Is there anything else you would like to add?
CB: Yeah, they say Arreola is the best heavyweight in the States, why don’t we prove it. We should get together a round-robin of all the top young American heavyweights and determine who is the best, and give that guy a shot at a Klitschko or another champion. These promoters keep recycling the same heavyweights that nobody wants to watch, they aren’t giving any of the other heavyweights a chance. If any promoters or managers want to make these fights happen, contact me at bozboxing@aol.com.


Mark Ortega can be reached via e-mail at mark@ultimateboxingresults.com
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LIGHTWEIGHT LIGHTNING PRESS RELEASE

GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS PRESENTS
"LIGHTWEIGHT LIGHTNING"
PAY-PER-VIEW EXTRAVAGANZA
TO TAKE PLACE APRIL 4TH IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

SEVEN FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS FEATURED
ON UNPRECEDENTED LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION EVENT
300 WINS, 220 KNOCKOUTS, 7 WORLD CHAMPIONS,
8 FIGHTERS, 4 FIGHTS, ONE NIGHT

LOS ANGELES, February 20, 2009 - Perhaps the most talent rich division in boxing, the lightweight class, will be on center stage at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas on Saturday, April 4th, as Golden Boy Promotions presents "Lightweight Lightning," an unprecedented four bout, lightweight pay-per-view event that will feature eight elite 135-pounders in four pivotal match-ups that will undoubtedly re-arrange the hierarchy of the highly competitive 135 pound division in one night.


In the "Lightweight Lightning" main event, revered and undefeated knockout artist Edwin Valero (24-0, 24 KOs) from Venezuela returns to the ring to face hard-hitting Colombian warrior Antonio Pitalua (46-3, 40 KOs) in a 12-round championship bout for the vacant WBC Interim World Lightweight crown.



One of the co-featured bouts prior to the main event will be a 10- round clash between former two-time World Champion and Olympic gold medalist, Cuban-born Joel Casamayor (36-4-1, 22 KOs) against the talented former World Champion and California native Julio Diaz (36-4, 26 KOs). As their records reflect, these two evenly matched pugilists, with similarly impressive knock-out ratios, will vie for dominance in what many pundits anticipate to be a barn-burner of a fight.



The third co-featured bout sees Austin's own Jesus Chavez (44-4, 30 KOs), a crowd-pleasing former Lightweight World Champion who is looking to capture a victory at home when he faces rugged and relentless Australian Michael Katsidis (24-2, 20KOs) who will look to give fight fans the type of "Arturo Gatti-like" performance that have become his trademark.



Rounding out "Lightweight Lightning" will be the always charismatic and entertaining Argentinean Jorge Barrios (47-4-1, 34 KOs) against another Lone Star State fighter, former World Champion Carlos Hernandez (43-7-1, 24 KOs), in a 10-round match-up that will open the pay-per-view telecast that evening.



"We have never done something like this before, pitting eight of the world's best lightweights against each other on one card," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "It's exciting, it's innovative and I can't wait for the opening bell to ring. The lightweight division is going to be shaken up on April 4th and every one of these fighters knows his career can only advance if he comes out victorious that night...a loss for any of them would be devastating."



"Lightweight Lightning," which is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Southwest Airlines, will air live on pay-per-view beginning at 9pm ET / 6pm PT with a suggested retail price of $39.95.



Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $75, $50, $35 and $25, go on sale on Friday, February 27th, and may be purchased at the Frank Erwin Center box office, by phone at (512) 477-6060 or 1-800-982-2386 or online at TexasBoxOffice.com. Tickets are also available at Texas Box Office Outlets including select H-E-B stores located in Austin and surrounding areas.



One of the hardest punchers in boxing, pound-for-pound, Venezuela's Edwin Valero is making the leap from 130 pounds, where he held the WBA World Championship title for over two years, to the lightweight division where he hopes to win another world championship. A 27-year old southpaw, Valero won his first 18 bouts via first round knockout, making him an instant fan favorite. On April 4th, he will be looking to make a statement in the lightweight division.



"I look forward to extending my knockout streak for my American fans," said Valero. "Moving up to another division in the hope of capturing my second world title gives me all the incentive I need to train hard. As always, I'm hungry for a knockout, so on April 4th everyone can expect a victory by knockout over Antonio Pitalua."



A native of Monteria, Colombia who now makes his home in Mexico City, 38-year-old veteran Antonio Pitalua has been on an unstoppable hot streak over the last seven years having registered 14 fights without a loss over that span. Fresh off a devastating sixth round knockout victory over highly-touted Jose Armando Santa Cruz last September, Pitalua promises that he will make good on his first world title shot since 2000.



"I don't think it's any secret that when the bell rings April 4th, the fight with me and Valero is going to be a war," said Pitalua. "We both have great punching power, but unfortunately for him, I know I can take his punch and I don't think he is going to be able to take mine."



The finest Cuban fighter of the modern era, Joel "El Cepillo" Casamayor has captured the imagination of fight fans for almost two decades. A 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist, the slick southpaw went on to win junior lightweight and lightweight world titles, beating the likes of Diego Corrales, Michael Katsidis, Roberto Garcia and Nate Campbell along the way.



"I've had a nice little break, but now it's time to get back to work," said Casamayor. "My title is waiting for me and I'm going to take it back in 2009. First things first though, I have to take care of my business with Julio Diaz."



A member of the fighting Diaz family, Julio "Kidd" Diaz is hoping to celebrate his 10th year as a pro with another world championship in 2009. The 29 year-old former IBF World Lightweight Champion from Coachella, California has won six of his last seven bouts, including four by knockout and is expecting a war from Casamayor on April 4th.



"This is a great night for boxing and it's going to be a great night for me," said Diaz. "Casamayor is one of the best in the world and beating him is going to put me right back on top...I can't wait."



One of boxing's most inspirational figures, Austin's Jesus "El Matador" Chavez is two wins into his comeback after rehabbing a serious knee injury. A Former World Champion at 130 and 135 pounds who owns wins over Tom Johnson, Carlos Hernandez and Leavander Johnson, Chavez is coming off a ninth round TKO of Andres Ledesma last September.



"I'm happy to have the opportunity to make another run at a world title," said Chavez. "Katsidis is an exciting young fighter and I know he will come prepared, but April 4th is going to be my night to shine, as I am going to be fighting for the whole state of Texas and all of my hometown fans who will be there to support me."



The pride of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, 28-year-old Michael Katsidis is one of the rare fighters who has been able to carry his popularity overseas and to the United States. An all-action, blood and guts warrior and former WBO World Lightweight Champion whose only pro losses have come in competitive bouts against Juan Diaz and Joel Casamayor, Katsidis recently got back in the win column with a ten round win over Angel Hugo Ramirez. He now looks to add to his victory total with his trademark exciting style against Chavez on April 4th.



"I miss holding a world title and I know the road back goes through Jesus Chavez," said Katsidis. "He's a great fighter and champion, but on fight night, I will walk through fire to make sure my hand is raised in victory."



An Argentinean warrior from Tigre, Jorge "La Hiena" Barrios never leaves the ring without giving all he's got. A Former WBO World Junior Lightweight Champion who defended his title twice, Barrios is now in search of bigger game at 135 pounds and is looking forward to making Hernandez his first victim.



"I think 135 pounds is going to be the best weight for me," said Barrios. "I'm hitting harder than ever as a lightweight and I know Hernandez won't be able to get past the sixth round with me on April 4th."



The greatest fighter to ever come out of El Salvador, national hero Carlos "Famoso" Hernandez wants to give his countrymen something to cheer about again on April 4th. Now living in the Lone Star State, "Famoso" has been working with Texas great Jesse James Leija to prepare for this upcoming challenge. Hernandez made a triumphant return to the ring in August of 2008 after nearly two years away with a win over Hector Alatorre and it's clear that Hernandez still has plenty in the tank for a title run.



"It was great getting back in the ring last August and since then, I've been living in the gym," said Hernandez. "My timing is where I want it to be, I feel faster and stronger than ever and Barrios is going to be in for a surprise when that bell rings on April 4th."



Please visit www.goldenboypromotions.com for more information. Read more!

CHAMBERS-PETER PRESS RELEASE

HEAVYWEIGHT BLOCKBUSTER:

SAM PETER TAKES ON

DANGEROUS CHALLENGER

EDDIE CHAMBERS

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OPPORTUNITY MOTIVATION FOR BOTH TOP WORLD RANKED FIGHTERS ON MARCH 27 AT

NOKIA THEATRE L.A. LIVE

Los Angeles, CA (February 19, 2009) – Big time heavyweight boxing will be played out on March 27 when #3 World-ranked contender Eddie Chambers and #5 World-ranked and former WBC World Heavyweight Champion Sam Peter collide in a monstrous heavyweight battle scheduled for 12-rounds on a special edition of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” (10:00 pm ET/7:00 pm PT) at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles.

"It has been a great pleasure working with Dan (Goossen) and Dino (Duva) and their respective fight teams to bring this exciting and meaningful bout to ESPN's Friday Night Fights. We are equally excited by the opportunity to produce and televise this inaugural boxing telecast from AEG"s state of the art Nokia Theatre" stated Doug Loughrey, ESPN-Director Programming Acquisitions.

Goossen Tutor Promotions will present the marquee night of boxing and entertainment, and the Chambers-Peter Heavyweight Bout is being promoted in association with Duva Boxing. The ESPN special extravaganza will be the first ever boxing event staged from the world-class 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, which is the centerpiece of L.A. LIVE, a 4-million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential and entertainment district adjacent to STAPLES Center.

“This is undoubtedly the biggest and most anticipated heavyweight fight that does not have a world title attached to it, stated Dan Goossen, but the winner of this bout will once again be earning their right to fight for the prestigious World Heavyweight Championship.”

Chambers knows the power that comes with a win.

“I can’t wait for the big night,” said an ecstatic Chambers, making his third appearance on ESPN, the giant cable sports network, on word that Peter accepted his challenge. Known as “Fast Eddie” for his tremendous hand speed, Chambers (33-1, 18 KOs) beat Ross Puritty and stopped Derric Rossy in his two previous bouts on ESPN.

“Pro basketball, football and baseball all on ESPN, and now “Fast Eddie. I’m in great company. I will beat Sam Peter, and do it convincingly, to get in position for my well-deserved World title shot. Peter is a big man, and a powerful puncher with both hands, and I give him his respect. But come March 27, he’ll find out about my power and speed. This is a big fight for me and I promise an exciting fight for the fans. It’s major heavyweight boxing.”

The 26-year old Chambers was in the process of making a meteoric rise in the heavyweight division when he lost a decision in January 2008 against Alexander Povetkin in an IBF Heavyweight Title Elimination bout in Germany. A native of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, now fighting out of Philadelphia, he was 29-0 when he stepped up to garner a split-decision over top contender Calvin Brock to earn the shot against Povetkin.

Now trained by the experienced and knowledgeable Rob Murray, Sr., Chambers has reeled off three straight wins: TKOs over Raphael Butler (for the USBA title) and Livin Castillo and, most recently, a unanimous decision victory over the gargantuan 6-4, 268-pound Cisse Salif two months ago in Cabazon, California.

Known as “The Nigerian Nightmare,” Peter (30-2, 23 KOs) is a 6-1, 250 pound knockout machine who is no stranger to fighting in Los Angeles, having recorded the first of his two big wins over James “Lights Out” Toney at STAPLES Center in September 2006 and has a decisive weight advantage over Chambers who weighed 221 pounds for his last bout.

“I’m coming home to LA. I love the city of Angels,” exclaimed Peter to the tune of Randy Newman’s “I Love LA” theme and added a little message to Chambers, “Eddie, you better be ready for the Nigerian Nightmare.”

Promoted by Dino Duva, managed by Ivaylo Gotsev and co-trained by Manny Massom and Shadeed Suluki, Peter, 28, was 24-0 and holder of the NABF Heavyweight Title before sustaining his first defeat as a pro in September, 2005 to current World Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko while knocking Klitschko down three times during the bout.

The powerful Nigerian went on to post five more wins (including two over Toney) before getting his opportunity at a World heavyweight title belt. In March 2008 Peter stopped Oleg Maskaev in the sixth round and claimed the WBC Heavyweight Title. Seven months later, in his first title defense, Peter relinquished the crown to the other Klitschko brother – Vitali – when he could not answer the bell for the ninth round.

So both Peter and Chambers will be looking for the opportunity to immediately get back into the World title picture on March 27 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE.

The boxing industry is giving Peter and his team credit for taking on what most experts consider a 50/50 fight against the dangerous Chambers. “Goossen has two fighters we want back-to-back, Chambers and (Cristobal “The Nightmare”) Arreola. First, Sam will knock Chambers out cold,” said a confident Duva, “and then the World Title or we may comeback to Los Angeles and do the same thing to Arreola.”

“Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE and everyone at AEG are incredibly thrilled to host our first ever-boxing match on March 27^th,” said Lee Zeidman, General Manager STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre and L.A. LIVE. The theatre was designed to host a variety of events and now we can add World Championship boxing to that list, and are looking forward to a history making night.”

“Matching two of the world’s top heavyweights is only part of the story on March 27,” Goossen stated. “The opportunity to bring this event to the amazing state-of-the-art Nokia Theatre is the other star. I believe an expanded and younger fan base will be attracted to this event and it will be the place to be that night, in part because of the extraordinary L.A. LIVE, and bringing the first ever boxing event to Nokia Theatre. The fans will definitely be treated to a World-class event at a World-class entertainment center.”

The night is sure to be a knockout come March 27 --- the only question is who will it be?

Ticket information and other televised and undercard bouts will be announced shortly. Read more!

WILLIAMS-WRIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

QUOTES FROM WRIGHT VS. WILLIAMS PRESS CONFERENCE

Winky Wright, Former Undisputed Junior Middleweight:
“I get a lot of people asking me why I’m not fighting. I tell them it has nothing to do with negotiations, it’s because no one wants to fight me. No one wants to fight Winky Wright. They say it’s about the money, but it isn’t that. I wanted to fight Pavlik and Calzaghe, I’d go to England to fight him if he wanted, but the fact of the matter is, no one wants to fight Winky.”

“I’m looking forward to the challenge, I want to show I’m more than a defensive fighter. Yeah I’m a defensive fighter, but I’ve never seen a boxer win a match without throwing punches. I’m definitely gonna need my defense against Paul, because he throws a lot of punches. I don’t go for the knockout, boxing is a sport and it takes more than that.”

“I’ve never been known to quit and Paul’s never been known to quit, but someone’s gonna have to and it’s not gonna be me.”


Paul Williams, Two Division World Champion:
“I’m blessed to be here, and I’m ready to fight Winky.”

“He’s a big name in boxing and I’m gonna try my best like in my past fights.”

“I don’t do a lot of talking, I do my talking in the Ring. I just want to work hard and have a good time.”


Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:
“There is no question that these two are the most avoided and feared fighters in the sport today.”

“There are reports out about Winky Wright not being able to negotiate, being stubborn and hard to work with, but this is simply not true. Winky was willing to fight anyone, anywhere. He was willing to fight Felix Strum, anywhere, he was also willing to fight Abraham anywhere and these were all reasonable deals. It was about these guys being scared and I am putting my full credibility behind these claims.”

“This is a fight boxing needs. It’s the first big fight of 2009 in Las Vegas and we’re glad to be back at the Mandalay Bay.”

“Like I said after Bernard and Shane won their matches earlier on, this is the year of the legends. Winky is one of the true legends of the sport. He’s on a mission, just like Shane was on a mission, and just like Bernard was on a mission. I like that he’s the underdog.”


Dan Goossen, President of Goossen Tutor Promotions:
“I know that there hasn’t been a challenge that Winky has turned down. The proof is in the pudding; look at what he’s done and who he’s done it to.”

“Winky is the most avoided man of the past decade because of what he’s done in the ring. Paul is not avoided, but definitely the most feared and it’s a big reason why we’ve moved across several weight divisions.”

“This is a big fight and we are really concentrated on showing just how great Paul Williams is. The challenges he puts himself through are unparalleled.”

“We feel Paul Williams will do what he does best. He will be all offense and some great defense. The proof will be in the pudding on April 11th.”

“This is the fight Paul wanted. What Winky’s done in the last 10 years is remarkable. It’s the big name that Paul has been looking for.


Chris Lighty, CEO of Winky Promotions:
“We have a great fight happening. Paul has come up through the ranks, grinding, just like Winky did when he was coming up.”

“We will entertain, we have had some great fights in the past and we will continue to bring that to you. “

“Winky’s had some great fights in the past 5 or 6 years, and although we didn’t agree with the results, they were still great fights.”

George Peterson, William’s Trainer:
“One fighter is an offensive fighter, while the other is a defensive fighter. Statistically these are great fighters, so it will be exciting to see what will go on in the ring.”


Tony Walker, Director of Affiliate Relations, HBO Sports:
“HBO’s World Championship Boxing is very proud to present this fight on April 11th.”

“These guys always take the risky fights and they always come prepared.”

“Boxing has some great momentum at the moment,and on April 11th, Winky and Paul will definitely continue that push.”


Bob Halloran, Director of Sports, MGM Mirage:
“These champs have fought the best.”

“This is going to be Winky’s 6th fight at the Mandalay Bay; he’s had some great battles here. I know Paul was featured on the undercard of a Mayweather fight, so this is going to be his second fight with us. “

“Tickets for the show are affordable; you can get a great room and check out a great fight.”

“I just recently checked the lines on the fight and Paul is the early favorite and I don’t remember the last time I saw Winky as the underdog but it should make for a great fight.”

# # #

Tickets for the explosive matchup, priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50 are now on sale and available for purchase at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.


Wright vs. Williams, a 12 round middleweight bout which is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Goossen Tutor Promotions and Winky Promotions and sponsored by Southwest Airlines. The bout will air live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT. Read more!

Golden Boy to finally feed veteran lightweights to the wolves

Mark Ortega

Golden Boy Promotions has just finalized an eight-man lightweight tournament that features six former world champions (and one former interim champion) in a series of bouts that are slated to take place April 4th in Texas on HBO pay-per-view. The announcement is expected to generate lots of excitement, and for good reason.


When Golden Boy Promotions was first established in 2001, one of their first orders of business seemed to be to snatch up all of the top talent in the 135-pound weight class. Eight years later, they control all but three of the major players at lightweight. One of those fighters is Manny Pacquiao, who was nearly a Golden Boy fighter but had already signed with Top Rank. Another is unified lightweight champion Nate Campbell, who fights this coming Saturday and could be signing with Golden Boy should he be victorious in order to ensure a big money fight. The only other 135-pound fighter they do not control, Edwin Valero of Top Rank, is expected to participate in the tournament.

This was a move that I personally expected to happen for months. When it was announced that Carlos Hernandez signed with Golden Boy back in June of last year, I half-expected to see him matched against either Michael Katsidis or Juan Diaz in order to rebuild those fighters after they both suffered their first professional defeats. Golden Boy went another route and matched both of those fighters against each other on one of HBO's best free telecasts of the year.

Now six months later, we likely will be seeing a few veteran lightweights put down to pasture. The tournament's first round matchups look like this:

-Edwin Valero [24-0, 24 KOs] vs. Antonio Pitalua [46-3, 40 KOs] for the interim WBC lightweight title.

-Joel Casamayor [36-4-1, 22 KOs] vs. Julio Diaz [36-4, 26 KOs]

-Michael Katsidis [24-2, 20 KOs] vs. Jesus Chavez [44-4, 30 KOs]

-Carlos Hernandez [43-7-1, 24 KOs] vs. Jorge Barrios [47-4-1, 34 KOs]

Valero is the youngest competitor in the tournament at 27 years of age. He poses the most intrigue in this lightweight tournament, fighting for the first time in the United States in many years due to his license being revoked for medical reasons. He has been cleared to fight in Texas, where this card is likely to land. Valero will also be making his 135-pound debut, and it will be interesting to see how his power (24 knockouts in 24 contests) translates at his new weight.

His opponent, Pitalua, is a 16-year veteran who is coming off a September upset victory over former interim WBC lightweight champion Jose Armando Santa Cruz, his biggest victory to date. In his lone challenge for a world title, Pitalua lost a decision to Artur Grigorian in November of 2000 and has since plodded along, losing one more along the way. Aside from his victory over Santa Cruz, Pitalua's last five fights have come against opponents that tally a total of seven victories, and all of those came from one fighter.

The second most intriguing bout is one that features two former world champions in Joel Casamayor and Julio Diaz. At 37, Casamayor does not have many fights left in him, but he should be favored here. In his last fight, an 11th round TKO loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, Casamayor was even on two scorecards and gave a good account of himself after starting off slowly. Before that, he was coming off likely his most thrilling victory, a 10th round stoppage of previously undefeated Michael Katsidis in a 2008 Fight of the Year candidate.

Diaz, on the other hand, has mostly fought off the radar since being totally dismantled by Juan Diaz in a lightweight unification bout back in October of 2007. In his first fight back, he took apart undefeated pretender David Torres on ESPN and has since added a victory over the many-times-beaten Fernando Trejo in October. At 29, Diaz still has seemingly a lot left in the tank and a win over Casamayor would be the biggest of his career.

28-year old Michael Katsidis returns to the United States to take on former super featherweight and lightweight world champion Jesus Chavez. Katsidis has just recently rebounded from two consecutive losses with a unanimous decision victory over soft-touch opponent Angel Ramirez. A victory for Katsidis could mean a much sought after rematch with Casamayor, so it is easy to assume he won't be looking past "El Matador".

For Chavez, a former two-division world champion, this could be the end of the road. Since suffering an injury against Julio Diaz in February of 2007, costing him his IBF 135-pound title, Chavez has looked far from spectacular. His 10-round decision win over Daniel Jimenez was acceptable, especially coming off of a serious injury. He then followed it up with a thorough beating of journeyman Andres Ledesma via ninth round stoppage, but many expected Chavez to take care of business a little bit quicker. Many feel that Chavez has not looked the same in the ring since his tragic bout with Leavander Johnson that resulted in the first major Las Vegas ring death in years, and it is easy to understand why. Still, a victory over Katsidis is within the realm of possibility and could be the trendy pick for an upset on the card.

The fourth bout features two more former world champions whose best days as well as pounds are behind them in Carlos "Famoso" Hernandez and Jorge Rodrigo Barrios. Since moving up to lightweight again in 2005, Hernandez has looked far from spectacular against less than stellar opposition. After losing to a much-faded Kevin Kelley at the end of 2006, Hernandez retired but has since returned to the ring once, a majority decision victory over Hector Alatorre in August of last year. In that bout, ring rust was very apparent and it took Hernandez many rounds to establish a rhythm. Hernandez also does not seem to have the legs that made him a world champion in 2003, the first of El Salvador. With that said, Hernandez still has a good chance at emerging victorious but is likely the least expected to conquer this proposed tournament.

Barrios is making the move to lightweight after unsuccessfully challenging Rocky Juarez, another Golden Boy fighter, back in September. Barrios looked much different than usual in the ring, imploring actual boxing technique in the ring that seemingly befuddled his opponent for at least the first half of the bout. Barrios nearly made it to the scorecards before Juarez busted open a cut in his mouth late in the 11th round, one of boxing's grossest injuries of last year. In the Juarez bout, new to Barrios' camp was trainer Rudy Perez, who made it known that he basically had to teach Barrios how to box again. The transformation that Barrios made from a wide open slugger to a slick boxer was as quick as any, and it worked for much of the fight before the brutal cut and knockout ended his hopes of victory. Barrios is now moving up another five pounds, but stands a fair chance at scoring a victory against Hernandez.

It seems that Golden Boy is building towards a Casamayor-Katsidis rematch with Edwin Valero likely playing the spoiler to those plans should the two not meet in the second round. The way the tournament is setup, it is yet to be known who would face each other in the next round. Expect that not to be hammered out until the first round is completed and negotiations can be worked on.
Read more!

Ward shuts out Buchanan!

Mark Ortega

Former Olympic gold medalist and rising super middleweight Andre Ward [18-0, 12 KOs] of Oakland, California passed his latest test on his way to a world title Friday night with a workmanlike unanimous decision over Henry Buchanan [17-2, 12 KOs] of Capitol Heights, Maryland in the main event of the ShoBox: The New Generation telecast.

Ward went twelve rounds for the first time in his career, winning every single round on all three judges scorecards to a tune of 120-108. Each round followed a similar pace, with Ward doing an excellent job cutting off the ring in order to keep Buchanan on the outside of his range. Buchanan was willing to give Ward openings by planting his feet to attempt to mount an offense, and that was when Ward would fire off three or four punch combinations and pile up points while Buchanan was still preparing to throw a punch. Ward snapped Buchanan’s head back nearly a dozen times, mainly off of counter right hands and left hooks. Buchanan was mainly looking for one big shot, and Ward never gave him a chance to land anything close to a significant punch.

Ward is expecting to fight again in either April or May, preferably at the Oracle Arena in his hometown of Oakland, California. “People around the neighborhood are starting to give me grief about that, not fighting in Oakland. I think it’s time, and that is what we plan on doing,” said Ward following his impressive victory. Super middleweight is an exciting division that offers a variety of possible opponents for Ward to face, including Allan Green and Edison Miranda. Ward wanted to make it clear that there were many fights offered to him in the months leading up to his most recent victory, and they were all accepted on his side of things. One fight in particular was a proposed fight between Ward and former unified middleweight champion of the world, Jermain Taylor. It has been made very clear that Ward is looking to seriously step up his level of competition in 2009, and that could include a challenge for a world title.


In the co-featured bout of the evening, as well as the opening bout of the televised portion of the card, red hot lightweight prospect John Molina [15-0, 11 KOs] of Covina, California knocked out Joshua Allotey [16-7, 14 KOs] of Washington, D.C. in three rounds. Behind a heavy body attack, Molina was able to wear the Ghana fighter down. Molina dropped Allotey early in the third with a wicked shot to the liver that referee Dan Stell ruled a low blow. Allotey was given lots of time to recover, but it turned out to do him no good but delay the inevitable, which was to be stopped by a perfectly-placed left hook to the body. This was Molina's first bout under world-renowned trainer Joe Goossen. Molina is likely to return to the ring in either late March or early April, possibly for a fight on ESPN.

In the evening’s walkout bout, Watsonville, California’s Carina Moreno [21-1, 6 KOs] scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Sharon Gaines [11-12-1, 3 KOs] of Las Vegas, Nevada. As per her usual, Moreno clearly won nearly every round and has established herself as one of the best female boxers in the world. Moreno won on scorecards of 80-72 twice and 79-73. UltimateBoxingResults scored it a shutout, 80-72.

Following his previous fight, a six-round majority draw against Jose Alfredo Lugo in November, highly-regarded junior welterweight Mike Dallas, Jr. [6-0-1, KO] of Bakersfield, California said he felt sorry for whoever his next opponent turned out to be. Dallas lived up to his word, pounding out an easy four-round unanimous decision over the game but outgunned Anthony Martinez [21-28-3, 9 KOs] of Turriabla, Costa Rica. Dallas impressed the crowd with his top-flight hand speed that he showcased in his five and six punch combinations. In the fourth round, Dallas threw fifteen consecutive punches without a response from Martinez that drew the crowd to their feet. In his last fight, Dallas seemed to gas out with two rounds remaining, and in this contest he seemed to have more than enough energy to go a couple more rounds if he needed to. “I was ready for six, so I kinda was fighting at a six-round pace,” remarked Dallas following his victory. Dallas is likely to return to the ring in the next few months.

Heavyweight Manuel Quezada [26-4, 16 KOs] of Wasco, California, extended his win streak to fifteen with an impressive fifth-round knockout of Eric Boose [14-4-1, 8 KOs] of Puyallup, Washington in a rematch of their April 2006 four-round bout that saw Quezada win a decision. Boose started off fast, winning the first two rounds on volume alone. Boose worked heavily behind the jab, but Quezada did an excellent job picking it off and countering with straight rights. At the end of the fourth, Quezada buzzed Boose with a one-two combination that sent him into the ropes. There wasn’t enough time left in the round for Quezada to follow it up, but he finished what he started in the following round’s opening with another great straight right hand. The official time of the stoppage was ten seconds into the fifth round.

Quezada will now attempt to move up the rankings and is possibly in line for a fight against former heavyweight champion of the world, Riddick Bowe. Quezada’s next bout will either come on Goossen-Tutor’s HBO date headlined by Paul Williams-Winky Wright on April 11th or a few weeks later in a return to the Tachi Palace.

Local lightweight fan favorite Poppies Martinez [2-0, KO] came away with a close victory in a four-round majority decision over Oakland, California’s Yonas Gebreegziabher [1-3]. Martinez, the former PFC Lightweight champion, is slated to return to action at the Playboy Mansion in March.

In another rematch, 44-year old former cruiserweight champion Arthur Williams [46-15-1, 30 KOs] came out on top in a ten-round majority decision over Dewey Cooper [17-3-3, 10 KOs] in a return bout to their October clash at the Tachi Palace. Cooper began with an early advantage, opening up a cut above one of Cooper’s eyes in the first round. Williams fought a smart fight and used his edge in experience to control the pace of the fight. Williams would pepper Cooper with right hands all night. The eighth round provided the fight’s best action when both fighters landed big shots that had their opponent stunned. Cooper made a comeback in the middle rounds but didn’t do enough in the final frame to get a draw, losing by scores of 96-94, 98-92, with a third card being even at 95-95. UBR scored the bout a draw, 95-95. Following the fight, Cooper said he is likely done with boxing and plans to dedicate himself full time to full-contact fighting.

In his first bout in over three-and-a-half years, Ruben Cuellar [3-1, KO] of Tulare, California scored a six-round split decision victory over James Ventry [7-7-1, 4 KOs] of Niagara Falls, New York. Ventry overcame a first-round knockdown to put himself in the thick of the fight, but didn’t do enough to earn a victory. The official scores were 59-54, 58-55 for Cuellar and 57-56 for Ventry.

Oakland, California’s Tony Hirsch overcame a seven-month layoff, the longest of his career, to win every second of every round against the overmatched Anthony Cannon [4-11, KO] of Saginaw, Michigan in a four-round middleweight bout. Hirsch had his way with Cannon, especially near the ropes where Hirsch was able to fire at will against an opponent who seemed to only know how to play defense. Cannon had his earmuffs on for most of the bout, and would occasionally try and answer Hirsch with comic-book style left hooks and straight rights that Hirsch saw coming. The bout was originally slated for six rounds, and neither fighter knew that had changed until the fourth round was over, a slightly odd fact.

Paul Mendez [1-0, KO] of Oakland, California won his professional debut over the Lemoore native Justin Wines [0-1] in a four-round middleweight contest. Two left hooks dropped Wines in the second, who managed to get to his feet. Referee Marcos Rosales put a stop to the bout officially at 2:21 of the second round.

Boxing and mixed martial arts will return on April 23rd at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino. Tickets will be made available online at Tickets.com, and will be brought to you, as always, by Goossen-Tutor Promotions in cohesion with Palace Fighting Championships.

Mark Ortega can be reached via e-mail at mark@ultimateboxingresults.com

All photos by Jason Pachura. Read more!